Main Menu

Secondary Menu

Recycled Owl Houses

While cutting some trees, I found some that were hollow. I set them back thinking I might use them. I later rebuilt a fence, and found a post that was hollow. Inside the post, I found left over bird nests. This gave me the idea. Use these as owl houses. I will show the way I built the small owl house. The large hollow logs are going to take a little more effort, but I think they will work. I'm not sure if owls will build, or some other critter may move in. Nevertheless, some creature should make use of the home.

Step 1: Materials

To build a recycled owl house, you have to find logs or posts that are hollow. The following is a list of items I used: Hollow post 2 x 8 board ( I had some laying around) 1 x 4 board ( this should be about a foot longer than the cut post for mounting) 8-12, 3" wood screws 3' piece of all thread 4 nuts and washers to fit the all thread

Step 2: Putting It Together

Putting it together just takes a little time and maybe some patience. I cut the post at 10", making sure I got use of holes already in the posts. This makes for more natural appearance than a drilled hole. I cut the top at a slight angle so that when the top is attached, water will run away from the nest. Next, I cut the 2 x 8 big enough to cover the bottom and top. Then I painted the boards to add some protection to the wood. I used the wood screws to attach the boards to the post, after the paint dried. To make the box more stable, I used the all thread to tie the top to the bottom. I used one piece in the back corner, and one in the opposite front corner. Once all of this was done, I attached the painted 1 x 4 to the back, screwing it into the top and bottom board. The reason for this back board is to mount the owl box to a tree. The only thing left is to find a good tree to mount it to. Be careful if you have to climb or use a ladder.

Step 3: Large Logs

The large hollow logs I found will have to be modified a bit. As you can see from the size of the logs, it would be very hard to mount an original piece to a tree. My plans are to cut them down, or in half. If it works out right, I should have two houses, maybe three from each piece.